


Not Alone

by Pearl_Unplanned



Series: Cap_Ironman Bingo 2015 [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Cap_Ironman Bingo, Community: cap_ironman, M/M, Stony Bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-07
Updated: 2015-08-07
Packaged: 2018-04-13 09:14:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4516260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearl_Unplanned/pseuds/Pearl_Unplanned
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve's heat comes early, but he's scared to tell Tony about it. Tony decides they need to have a talk. And cuddle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Alone

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the bingo square: Intimacy Without Sex  
> This is also a Highschool AU. Just saying.

There was a quiet knock at the door that startled Steve enough to make him jump and look sharply over at the offending noise. He could've sworn that he'd left that door closed, but here it was, open. And there was someone in the doorway, standing there with a cautious sense about him, a stark contrast to the strong, egotistical, arrogant attitude that he usually had. Dark eyes met light ones, and the teen wordlessly entered the room, closing the door behind himself without a sound.

"Hey," Tony offered, pausing a few feet away and not coming any closer. He looked scared, which was strange for him because Steve wasn't sure he'd ever really seen Tony looking scared before. (Well, apart from that one nightmare experience during a group sleepover, but according to Tony, that didn't count. Steve was the only one who knew about that anyway, and he'd never betray Tony's secret.)

"Hey," Steve replied back, because it seemed like the best thing to say. He was sitting on the far side of his bed, a large blanket wrapped around him, shivering and shaking and wishing that he didn't have to be an Omega, because this _really sucked_. Two days a month he went into heat, and most of the time it was on weekends, but today was Friday, and he missed school. Ma didn't want to leave him home alone, but Steve convinced her to go to work and leave him here. (The two of them weren't all that well-off, and Steve knew that if Ma missed days, there was a chance she could lose her job.)

"Heard your heat started... You should've told me, babe, I would've been here," Tony said softly, quieter than he ever really had before. He was loud, arrogant and smart-mouthed, and Steve loved that about him, but this... was a welcome change, even if it only happened when he was in heat.

Steve couldn't hold back a whimper at being reminded about his heat. Especially when his Alpha was standing right in front of him, a couple feet away. "Didn't want to bother you," Steve whispered, pulling his blanket closer. "S'why I was texting Clint. Thought he'd keep it a secret."

"You know he can't keep anything from Natasha and Bruce," Tony replied with a hesitant laugh, not moving any closer. Steve was thankful, because his Omega urges were telling him to just submit to his Alpha already, and... to be truthful, he was scared to do that. Terrified.

"No, I guess he can't," Steve said, flinching involuntarily when Tony took a step forward.

"Steve? Baby, look at me. Please?" Tony asked quietly, and Steve found that he _had_ to. Alpha's orders and all. It was Tony's turn to flinch when he must've noticed what he did. "Sorry, that wasn't an order. I just... want to help you, Steve."

"I know," Steve whispered. He'd made sure to stay away from all Alphas when he was in heat for the past eight months that they'd been dating, and he made up excuses for why he wasn't able to hang out when he was in heat. Other times he just got one of the other Omegas in his friend group to come over and keep him company. But Clint couldn't come over today because he wasn't allowed to skip school (Steve made sure that he didn't) and then Tony was informed...

"I'm not going to hurt you, Steve, you don't have to worry about that," Tony said quickly. Steve could tell that he was nervous, perhaps even more nervous than Steve himself. "How are you feeling?"

"Sick, achy," Steve replied, not wanting to say anything more. The heat was making him very uncomfortable with the Alpha in the room. His body wanted Tony to come over and just... but no, he was too scared, he didn't want that to happen.  
"Think that I'd be able to help? I mean, I don't really know how to help, but I could try, I bet," Tony said, taking another step towards the bed.

Steve couldn't help but shrink away from him. "I think I'd rather be alone, Tony, I-I'm not... I can't... not ready to..."

"Hey, hey, I understand," Tony murmured, holding his hands up in the universal sign of 'I'm not going to hurt you'. "That's not what I was suggesting. I just... I heard that it makes it easier for an Omega when his Alpha's near, and I know I'm not your Alpha, but I was thinking... You like cuddling. We could cuddle. I'm all up for it if you are."

Cuddling? Tony Stark was asking him if he wanted to _cuddle?_ Needless to say, Steve was surprised enough to look back over at his boyfriend, mouth hanging open.

"Hey," Tony said quickly, folding his arms. A blush started crossing his face. "I like to cuddle as much as the next guy, it's not all that surprising. We do it all the time. I just think it might help you right now, that's all. If you don't want to, we don't have to, I understand. I can leave if you want me to... You gave me a key, so I thought you might want some company..."

"You won't try to...?" Steve didn't want to do anything, not yet. He was only seventeen, he was too young. He didn't _feel_ ready, not yet.

"Sex? Steve, honey, I can tell you're not ready," Tony said, and there was no hint of anger in his voice whatsoever. "I'm not going to make you do anything you're not ready to do." He moved closer, taking a seat on Steve's bed. "I'm not one of those bad Alphas, Steve, you don't have to be scared of me. Please, _please_ don't be scared of me. I'd never do anything to hurt you, you know that, right?"

Steve nodded, and it was the truth. Tony had never done anything to hurt him before. No matter how many times they'd argued before, which was a lot, they always made up at the end of the day (or week; that one time it went on for a week and they almost broke up).

"Do you want me to... to stay here with you? At least until your mother gets home, so you don't have to be alone?" Tony offered, and Steve didn't want to say no to him.

Instead, he just patted the bed beside him. Tony grinned, and the dark haired teen crawled up onto the bed a little hesitantly. It wasn't until he put an arm around Steve's shoulders when Steve realized what Tony meant about an Alpha's presence calming an Omega down. Tony's hand felt like an icepack against a sore wound, cooling it, soothing it. The pain in his gut, the pain that had been building inside all day long, started to ebb away as if it had never been there.

Tony seemed to calm down too, relaxing as Steve leaned against him. It wasn't long before they shifted their positions so that Steve's back was pressed against Tony's chest, and Tony's arms were wrapped around him, protecting him. Steve secretly loved how small he was only when Tony was able to wrap around him like a comforting blanket and chase away all his fears, all his inner demons. It was the only time his size didn't bother him.

"How do you feel?" Tony whispered, breath warm against his neck.

"Better." It was all either of them needed. "This is nice, Tony." He glanced shyly over at Tony. "Thanks... for understanding."

"No problem, Steve," Tony murmured, resting his chin on Steve's shoulder. "You know... I do love you, Steve. I know I haven't said it yet, but we've been together over eight months now, and I really feel like I needed to say that 'cause I don't know if _you_ know how and I feel and--"

"Tony," Steve laughed, leaning his head backward and tilting it towards his boyfriend. His Alpha. "I love you too."


End file.
